Gas-producer.



No. 704,527. Patented Jul I5, I902.

w. J. EVANS & r. KLEPETKO. 1

GAS PRODUCER.

(Application filed Nov. 12, 1897.)

(No Model.)

3 Sheets-Sheet l.

No. 704,527. Patented July l5, I902.

W.-J. EVANS & F. KLEPETKD.

GAS PRODUCER.

(Application filed Nov. 12, 1897.)

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No. 704,527. Pat entad lu ly l5, I902. W. J, EVANS &. F. KLEPETKO. GASPRODUCER (Application filed Nov. 19, 1897.)

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-$hebt 3.

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U rrnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GAS-PRODUCER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letter 5 Patent No. 704,527, dated July15, 1902.

Application filed November 12, 1897. Serial No. 658,229. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, WILLIAM J EVANS and FRANK KLEPETKO, engineers, ofGreatfalls, Cascade county, in the State of Montana, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in and Relating to Gas-Producers, ofwhich the following is a description, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings.

The invention relates to apparatus employed for the production ofcombustible gas for metallurgical or other operations formed by thedistillation of coal or other solid fuel or by the action of air andsteam upon incandescent solid fuel; and it relates more particularly tothe class of apparatus in which the solid fuel when freshly introducedinto the producer lies upon a bed of incandescent fuel, through whichthe air or air and steam pass in order to produce the necessarytemperature and effect the production of gas.

The principal objects of the invention are to form a gas-producerconvenient, simple, economical, and efficient in its structure andoperation and to accomplish automatic coalfeeding, an automatic pokingand stirring action, and an automatic ash and clinker cleaning action,to make the producer continuous and to a large extent automatic in itsaction, to cause it-to produce a uniform quality and quantity of gas,and to accomplish certain other obj ects,which will be apparent from thefollowing description.

In almost all gas-producers now in use it is necessary in order toproduce a good quality of gas to agitate and distribute and to poke thecoal, which is fed by hand, the furnace being charged at intervals.Mechanical continuous charging devices have been described in print, buthave not, so far as we are aware, gone successfully into use. Duringpoking and charging in the usual manner considerable gas escapes fromthe poke hole and charging-hopper, causing a considerable loss. It isalso very disagreeable work for the men, as they frequently have tostand while at work directly over the escaping gas. On account of thisescaping gas the work of stirring and poking the furnace is sodisagreeable that the constant attention which should be given to thefurnace in order to make good gas can rarely be enforced. Irregularityin charging and also irregularity of stirring and poking the coal causethe production of gas to vary both in quality and in quantity, inasmuchas gas is generated in the best manner only when the coal is beingstirred or agitated over the incandescent bed of the furnace.

Our invention contemplates the fulfilment of each one of the foregoingrequirements in a simple and efficient manner.

The accompanying drawings illustrate one preferred embodiment of theinvention.

Figure 1 is a top view of the producer. Fig. 2 is a central verticalsection of the same. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section below the planes 3 3of Fig. 2. Figs. 4 and 5 are details of preferred ash and clinkermechanism.

Throughout the drawings like figures of reference indicate like orsimilar parts.

The furnace of the producer is indicated at 10, the gas-dischargingpassage at 11. The conduit or passage for introducing air, steam, or airand steam to the incandescent coal is shown at 12, surmounted bythe hoodor twyer at 13. The topv of the furnace 14 rotates upon wheels orrollers 15, which run on the circular rail or track, as shown, whichsurmounts the Wall of the furnace. A rotary motion is given to the topby means of the suitablydriven beveled gear 16, which meshes withgear-teethon the under face of the top 14. The furnace shown isparticularly adapted for slack or nut coal, which is fed by gravity downthe chute 17, where it falls onto a deflecting-cone 18 and thence ontothe plate or table 19, which forms the bottom of the hopper 20. The conel8 prevents the coal falling directly through the central pipe 21 intothe furnace 10. Directly above this pipe 21 extends the hollow shaft 22,which carries on its lower end the feeding-arms 23. The shaft 22 may befixed or may be rotated by means of a pulley 24c or in any otherconvenient manner. The movement of the arms 23 relative to the table orplate 19, which forms the bottom of the hopper-2O and relates with thetop 14 of the furnace, feeds the coal at a uniform rate to the openingor pipe 21, allowing it to fall into the center of the furnace upon thebed of incandescent coal, thus giving a continuous supply of coal. Thetop of the furnace or combustion-chamber 10 is pro-* vided withstirring-arms or pokers 25, which are preferably set at an inclination,as shown in the drawings, and extend down into the incandescent bed ofcoal. The rotation of the top 14 causes these stirrers or pokers toagitate the -coal-bed and keep it loose. The coal falls from the opening21 into the center of the furnace or combustion-chamber 10, and

the revolving movement of the pokers 25 distributes it evenly over theincandescent coal, causing the fresh coal to pass from the center of thefurnace toward the outer edge, the coal becoming gasified during itspassage over the incandescent bed. The continuous removal of the ashesfrom beneath the incandescent bed causes a gradual and continuoussettling of the coal, and as the upper coal loses its gas and becomesred-hot it settles down and forms part of the incandescent bed of fuel,thus constantly renewing it. Lower down the coal gradually loses itsheat and becomes ash and clinkers.

We have indicated in Fig. 2 of the drawings the position of the strataof coal, incandescent coal, and ashes, though of course the thickness ofthe several layers will vary with the amount of coal and air supplied.The lower portion of the combustion-chamber 10 terminates in aperforated ash-hopper 26, which is open at the bottom and is supportedsome distance above the stationary bottom plate 27, through the centerof which the air or steam supply pipe 12 preferably passes. Beneath thebottom plate 27 is the ash-pit 28, the walls of which forni thedownward-extending continuation of the walls of the combustion-chamber10 and are, of course, gastight. Supported with this ash-pit orashchamber 28 is a rotating annular support 29, which carries arms 30,which extend inward toward the air-pipe 12 and lie directly above theplate 27. The annular support or ring 29 may travel upon the supportingguide-rollers 31 and be driven byabevel-gear 32, turned by thepulleywheel 33 and meshing with gear-teeth on the under side of the ring29. The ring 29 may be made in sections, as shown in the drawings, andshould preferably, if made with smooth face, as in Fig. 3, leave a spaceof eight or ten inches between the inner surface of the ring 29 and theedge of bottom plate 27. The arms 30, carried by the ring 29, move overthe bottom plate 27 through the ashes and clinkers, continually removingthe fine ashes which keep dropping down onto the plate 27. Owing to theslant and action of the arms 30 the ashes fall from the edge of theplate into the ash-pit 28, whence they may be removed from time to timeby sluicing with water, which of course may be done without allowing theescape of gas.

In Figs. 4 and 5 are shown details of the preferred arrangement of theash and clinker removing mechanism, by which the clinkers are broken orground between toothed edges provided on the plate 27 and the ring 29.By

this means the removal of the clinkers and their reduction to suchfragments as may readily be sluiced from the ash-pit are assured. Thisfeature of toothed edges between relatively moving bottom plate orgrating and surrounding bodies is applicable also to rotary plates ortables and stationary teeth set to cooperate therewith. The teeth of theplate or table 27 Figs. 4 and 5, are shown at 50 and those of the ring29 at 51. The clear space between opposing teeth may preferably be threeinches or less, which will insure the grinding or breaking of clinkersexceeding that size, whereas it is advisable, as already stated,that aconsiderably greater space he allowed where such teeth are not providedin order to prevent the possible retention of large clinkers above thesmooth edges. In other respects than those mentioned the details ofparts shown in Figs. 4 and 5 may be identical with Fig. 3.

The stirring-arms or pokers 25 are hollow. and closed at the lower end.Within each of them extends a water-pipe 34, which is open' at thebottom and supplied with water by the pipe 35 or in any other desiredmanner. The water passes down through the pipe 34 and up around the pipe34 in the surrounding space within the hollow poker 25 and flows outthrough the overflow 36 directly onto the top of the producer 14. Thetop of the producer is provided with a flange 37, which enables it toretain water, causing .the water to spread over the surface of the topand keep it cool. In order to keep the hopper 20 cool, it may besurrounded by a pan 3S, kept filled with water. From this pan the watermay be passed through connections 35 into the cooling-pipes 34, asalready described. Between the revolving top 14 of the producer and theWalls of the chamber 10 the gas is sealed or trapped by an annular waterseal. This is preferably formed by means of a flange 40, depending fromthe top 14 and extending down into a channel or trough 41, which isfilled with water by the overflow from the up-. per side of the top 14.I

At 42 is shown an overflow-pipe from the trough 41 at such height as toprevent the water overflowing into the combustion-chamher.

We attach great importance to the means by which the coal may be fedinto the furnace 10 continually through the opening 21 without the gasfrom the generator escaping in the reverse direction. Through the hollowshaft 22 steam or other fluid under pressuresuch, for instance, as air,but preferably steamis directed into the opening 21 under sufficientpressure to prevent the gas escaping from the furnace. The expansion andmomentum of the jet of steam or air issuing from the pipe or shaft 22 ateven a moderate velocity are adequate for this purpose, as the pressureof gas within the generator does not, as a rule, exceed one inch,(meaning thereby the pressure of a column of water one inch ICC high.)If greater pressures are used, the power of the steam-jet may beincreased proportionately.

By means of the apparatus described a continuous and very uniformfeeding of coal through the apparatus and continuous stirring and pokingof the coal are effected, and thereby a continuous and uniformproduction of high-grade carbon gas is produced, such as has not to ourknowledge been heretofore obtained in any gas-producers with which weare acquainted. lVe desireit to be understood that the details and formsof the several elements of our apparatus may be widely varied withoutaffecting the principles of operation or the spirit of our invention ashas been set forth above, and without attempting to enumerate the manymodifications which readily occur to any skilled mechanic we claim asfollows, meaning thereby that the terms of each claim shall beunderstood by reference to the specification without regard to anydefining limitations contained in any other or more specific claim.

We claim- 1. In agas-producer, the combination of the gas-chamber wallsand top relatively rotary, a water seal between said walls and top,meansfor confining a body of water upon the said top, an overflow from thesaid top to the said seal, and an overflow device for the said seal,substantially as set forth.

2. In a gas-producer,the combination of the gas-chamber walls and toprelatively rotary, a water sealbetween said walls and top, means forconfining a body of water upon the said top, an overflow from the saidtop to the said seal, a mechanical stirrer or poker carried by the saidtop and provided with cooling-passages, and fluid connections supplyingwater thereto and discharging onto the said top, substantially as setforth.

3. In a gas-producer, the combination of the gas-chamber walls and toprelatively rotary, a water seal between said walls and top, means forconfining a body of water upon the said top, a mechanical stirrer orpoker carried by the said top and provided with cooling-passages, fluidconnections leading to said passages and delivering from said passagesonto the said top, and an overflow from the said top to the said seal,substantially as set forth.

4. In combination in a gas-producer,the top thereof provided withstirrers or pokers having cooling-passages,coal-feoding-mechanismcarried by said top, a water-holding receptacle for cooling the saidcoal-feeding mechanism, and fluid connections leading therefrom to thecooling-passages of the said stirrers or pokers, substantially as setforth.

5. In combination in a gas-producer,a coalfeeding opening in the topthereof, means for delivering the coal around but not into the saidopening, and coal-feeding arms feeding the coal in a centripetaldirection to the said opening, substantially as set forth.

6. In combination in a gas-producer,a coalfeeding opening in the topthereof, means for delivering the coal around but not into the saidopening, including a spreading cone which overhangs the said opening,and coalfeeding arms extending beneath the said cone feeding the coal ina centripetal direction to the said opening, substantially as set forth.

7. In combination in a gas-producer,a coalfeeding opening in the topthereof, means for delivering the coal around but not into the saidopening, including a spreading device which overhangs the said opening,coalfeeding arms above said opening, and jetproducing mechanism directeddownward from above the said opening, substantially as set forth.

8. In combination in apparatus for feeding coal to a gas-producer, anopening through which the coal is fed, means for producing dynamiccounter-pressure in such opening in opposition to the static pressurewithout the producer, a spreading deflector above the said opening,means for delivering coal by gravity onto the said deflector, andmechanical means for feeding the coal from around the said deflector tosaid opening, substantially as described;

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands this 4th day ofNovember, 1897.

WILLIAM J. EVANS. FRANK KLEPETKO.

Witnesses:

GEO. K. FISCHER, JAMES OGRADY.

